Valtari (LP)

Sigur Rós

Amoeba Review

For anyone longing for the early days of Sigur Ros, when they would create extended soundscapes with inscrutable titles (or no titles at all) sung in a garbled Icelandic that move at the speed of a glacier melting, their prayers are answered with Valtari, a beautiful piece of work that harkens to the band’s glory days. The album begins modestly enough with a pair of slow burners before laying on the orchestral rock epics, with “Varuo’s” pounding drum climax, the cinematic scope of “Rembihnutur” and the choral beauty that is “Dauoalogn.” However much Sigur Ros demands patience to fully appreciate, they’ve never been anything less than a classic (if thoroughly inventive) rock band, and Valtari is a stunning reminder of the heartrending beauty they’re capable of creating.